The standard Italian rifle of the Great War was adopted
in 1891. It was fed with a 6-round clip. The clip was a Mannlicher design
and the breech block assembly was
designed by an Italian gunsmith named Carcano. While it is looked down
upon by some devotees of the "finer" rifles, it was a rugged
weapon that didn't foul up easily
and withstood hard treatment. Its smaller cartridges [Cal. 6.5x52 mm vs.
7.92 mm Mauser] meant a soldier could carry more rounds and its clip
held 6 rounds vs. 5 per clip for almost all rifles of the other belligerents.

It's length was designed for an obsolete method of warfare, allowing an
infantryman to fend off the lance or saber of a mounted cavalryman.